DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
266 CARR BUILDING BOX 90719

Nov. 21, 1997

Mr. Matthew Richter
Teaching's of the Children

Dear Mr. Richter:

Many thanks for your letter of November 3. I apologize for the delay in responding to your letter. I am overwhelmed with a heavy schedule of writing deadlines and engagements.

I am sensitive to your concerns and I can certainly understand your anger. I have received many letters regarding the lack of a Native American representative on the Advisory Board to the Presidentls Initiative on Race and my letter to Mr. Lawrence Baca, Chairman of the Indian Law Section of the Federal Bar Association. I will certainly try to balance this situation by obtaining staff members of Native American ancestry. As I noted to Mr. Baca, however, I did not nominate the members of the Advisory Board, and I cannot add more members. Thus, I am unable to help in that particular capacity.

The copy of the very famous photograph that you sent me is a poignant reminder of the impact of racism. I, however, at the age of 82 do not need a reminder of racism. As a descendant of a Choctaw and an African who was owned by Native Americans, a person who has lived through the era of lynching, race riots against African-Americans, and Jim Crow segregation, as a historian for over fifty-five years, and as a person who continually feels the effect of racism even today, I am more than aware of the history of racism in both the African American and Native American community.

Mr. Lawrence Baca certainly has a valid point for his belief that there should be more letters of complaint. I only suggest that it is directed to its proper channels. I can only say that I will try to fill this void by attempting to do what I can to state positions that will indicate my understanding of the problems that Native Americans face. The other members of the Advisory Board also recognize that there is not a Native American representative. As a result, the Board has requested and obtained information from several organizations and historians on Native American history and on the impact of racism on the Native American community, in particular the question of education and land disputes. Should you have any information the Advisory Board would appreciate all material that you can send regarding the educational and economic disparity of Native Americans, especially in the area of land and sovereignty disputes.

I will not attempt to state that the Board has a total understanding of the Native American Community. It is, however, doing its best to include the Native American struggle in its conversation.

Again, thank you for your letter. I will share it and the many others that I have received with the other members of the Board. Best wishes.

Sincerely yours,

John Hope Franklin

James B. Duke Professor of History Emeritus

 

We respond to Mr. John Hope Franklin,
Chairman, ADVISORY BOARD of
PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE ON RACE

PHOTO ESSAYS | "KILLING OF THE CHILDREN" | VETERANS | HISTORY | "INDIAN" MASCOT

American Comments Magazine, copyright 1997

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